


Chasing Dreams

by royalDelirium



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Fantasy AU, M/M, Mage Mikleo, Prince Sorey, Sormik Big Bang 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21567451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalDelirium/pseuds/royalDelirium
Summary: And this is where their tale begins, they did not really know what would await them out there, but they had dreams to chase and questions to answer. As long as they were together nothing could escape their grasp.{SorMik Big Bang 2019, art by Mewnia}
Relationships: Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34
Collections: Sormik Big Bang 2019





	Chasing Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This was my piece for the [SorMik Big Bang 2019](https://twitter.com/SormikBB/).  
> I was fortunate enough to work with an amazing artist [Mewnia](https://mewnia.tumblr.com/) {[Tumblr](https://mewnia.tumblr.com/)||[Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mewnia15)}. I highly recommend checking out her art, she has so many amazing Tales pieces. It was great working with her.

{Art By Mewnia [Tumblr](https://mewnia.tumblr.com/post/189304793993/at-last-i-can-finally-post-for-the-sormikbigbang)||[Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mewnia15/status/1199199893383872512)} 

Rain poured from the dark and rumbling sky, each drop washing away the blood and returning the stolen life to the earth. Zaveid finished wiping away the blood from his sword on the tunic of one of the men before sheathing it. He had successfully avoided getting any blood on his clothes and it was going to stay that way.

"That takes care of that," he grumbled to himself.

For a high reward bounty, this group had not been much of a struggle. He expected that he would have needed more than just a sword he snagged off one of their guards. He was not going to question the luck though; easy cash was always welcome. Even better was that he could take some of their spoils for himself. 

Digging through the bodies, he put all the coins into one pouch. Even with all the coins going into one pouch, it was barely enough to fill it. None of the men had anything else of value on them beyond the coins and their weapons, at least they were smart enough for that. No, the real valuables would be in the covered wagons.

"Let's see what kind of goods you have that made your deaths worth so much." Zaveid grabbed the curtain covering the opening to one of the wagons and threw it open. 

No mountain of jewels awaited him though, no gold or sparkle. Instead, bound and gagged and tossed into the otherwise empty carriage, was a child. 

Rope wrapped around his wrists, tightly held together, not allowing even air between them. His feet were wrapped equally as tight, with the end of the rope tethered to the edge of the carriage. The tunic covering his body was nothing more that scrapes, barely held together. The scrapes and bruises littering his visible skin told the tale of a fighter. But the worst of it were the terrified green eyes which looked up at him, shockingly dry for a child. 

Zaveid could only utter two words as the sight registered in his mind.

"Ah shit."

☆

The banging at the front of the house got louder, Mikleo crept out of his bed and peeked around the doorway as Gramps opened the door. It was not completely unusual for someone to come to their house late in the evening with some emergency or another. But even in a panic, none of the villagers were this aggressive in their knocking. The lightning lit behind the visitor; the large shadow unfamiliar made the young child worry for the old man.

"Well if it isn't the young hero," Gramps said to the stranger, "what has you trying to knock down my door in the middle of the night in a storm?"

The word _hero_ caught his attention.

"Hey old man," the visitor stepped into the house. 

The man was shirtless, which was impractical in the pouring rain. Mikleo wondered how he was not shivering from the cold. But the bare chest showed off several tattoos littering his sun touched skin. His white hair was wild and untamed, not even dripping wet would it lie still.

The grin spread wide across his face, worried Mikleo, but he was not as scary now that he was not a shadow in the rain. "I have a favor to ask of ya."

The elder folded his arms over his chest, "what trouble did you find now Zaveid?"

The pout Zaveid gave at that question brought out the youth in his face. "Hey, I found no trouble, unless you count finding a kid!"

He stepped to the side to reveal a young boy hiding behind his legs. His face was hidden by the blanket covering him. His fingers gripped the blanket tightly as if someone was going to take it from him. Mikleo leaned out further as his heart picked up its pace, trying to get a better look at the kid who might be right around his age!

He could see a bit of brown hair sticking out of the blanket before he leaned too far. Arms flailing, he tried to keep his balance, but crashed to the floor in a puddle. The other kid jumped, the blanket fall from his head revealing wide scared green eyes and bruised cheeks.

“I thought I heard little footsteps,” Gramps said motioning for Mikleo to get up. “Come here Mikleo.”

Standing up, he rubbed at his sore shoulder. Squinting his eyes and wrinkling his nose, he stopped when a sharp soreness came from touching the tender skin. That hurt.

In that moment everything seemed to finally catch up to the young boy and he burst into tears. Dropping to the floor he curled up with his face buried in the blanket and let out sobs. It seemed clear he was trying to keep the sounds to a minimum, he was almost gasping for breath between the whimpers.

Zaveid looked down at the kid in horror. “And that is my cue to get out of here,” he spun on his heel and was out the door before anyone can blink.

“Zaveid!” Gramps shouted out the door, quickly following after him to get more information.

Mikleo scrambled forward and plopped down next to the crying boy. He threw his arms around him, he couldn’t quite make it all the way, but as long as the kid knew it was a hug that was all that mattered. The boy froze and held his breath for a moment before dropping the blanket and throwing his own arms around Mikleo. He buried his face in the other boy’s shoulder and let his sobs free.

The two boys sat there on the floor like that for a while. Mikleo petting the other and making noises like Gramps had done for him when he cried. He could not think of any words to say, so he just kept making cooing sorts of sounds. Finally, the other’s sobs quieted to sniffles and Mikleo pulled back.

His new friend was dirty, bruised and obviously scared. Mikleo racked his brain for something, anything he could do to chase the fear away from those pretty eyes. He sat up straight when it came to him.

“Do you wanna see something cool?”

Wiping away his tears the boy nodded slowly. Standing up the boys brushed themselves off. Mikleo grabbed his hand with a smile and dragged him into the kitchen. The boy stumbled a bit behind him and winced at the pull on his wrist, but did not let it topple him, quickly following after the other boy. Mikleo let go of the boy’s hand and hurried over to the sink. 

Using the step stool, he reached up for one of the drinking glasses on the counter. Luckily they hadn’t been put away in the cabinet yet so he could reach them. He set the glass on the table and moved the stool to be in front of the water pitcher. Grabbing the glass he climbed back up and filled the glass. Taking his newly filled glass to the table he set it down between him and the boy and stepped back.

“Watch this!”

Thrusting his hands out he focused on the water. His nose scrunched up from his intense stare on the glass. The water inside began to ripple and splash about, becoming wilder until it finally started rising from the cup. It rose like a stream up out of the cup and began pooling where it hovered in the air. Soon a wavy ball of water forms above the cup.

The other boy made loud exclamations at the magic; it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. Leaning closer he reached out a hand to touch the ball. As soon as his finger made contact it burst, and water got everywhere. They both jumped back and started laughing.

“That was so cool!”

“Wasn’t it,” Mikleo agreed, “I’m gonna be a mage someday and do even cooler magic! Someday you could hold it and it won’t pop! My name is Mikleo, what is yours?” 

He scurried around the table to hold his hand out for a handshake just like Gramps taught him. Sorey took the hand, but instead of shaking it he twined their fingers together.

“I’m Sorey,” the other boy said, all traces of sadness gone from his face.

“Look at this mess!”

They both jumped and let go of their hands as Gramps shouted from the doorway to the kitchen. Wide-eyed, they looked around the water ended up covering both of them, the table, and the floor. It was like it had rained indoors.

“Ah Gramps!” Mikleo said, quickly trying to change the subject and not get in trouble. “This is Sorey!”

“Looks to me like you are just two wet boys,” he said smiling at them. 

His eyes lingered on the new child in his house. The boy was drenched in water and covered in dirt; his clothes were probably some torn leftover pieces from the bandit group he had been held by. In the light the bruises, though more visible, didn’t seem quite as bad. His wrists and ankles would need some tending to, but that could wait. The fear that had filled his eyes earlier had faded away and Gramps could see the happy child he could be.

“It’s past your bedtime anyway,” Gramps said pointing the boys out of the room. “Mikleo would you get Sorey some clothes to sleep in? Both of you get changed and into bed. I’ll clean this up.”

Mikleo grabbed Sorey’s hand and pulled him out of the kitchen, loudly whispering that they are lucky they did not get in trouble. Zenrus shook his head as he watched the boys scurry out of there. He set to work cleaning up the mess they left behind. Alone with his thoughts he let the frown take over his face.

Zaveid’s story was troubling. The bandits who normally came out this way were usually minor thieves, robbing travelers and leaving them alive. Very rarely did they leave bodies or take captives, it was too much of a hassle for them. So why did they have young Sorey tied up in their carts? 

Setting the cleaning rags to the side, Zenrus made his way through the home to Mikleo’s room. The light was still on, so he expected to see the boys awake. But pushing open the door, he found them curled together on the bed. Their fingers were loosely twined, and they were turned toward each other. Both had relaxed smiles on their faces, the only sign of the troubles Sorey had faced was the dried tear tracks running down his cheeks and the bruises on his skin.

Carefully Zenrus took one of the blankets and covered the pair. He tucked them in and brushed the hair from their eyes. Sorey shuffled away from the touch and closer to Mikleo, but didn’t wake from his slumber. Dousing the lights, Zenrus took one last look at the boys before shutting the door.

He could worry about the troubles later; the boys were safe for now and he would make sure it stayed that way.

☆

The trees blurred into blobs of green and brown as he raced through them. He kept his eyes peeled for any hint of blue, but it was all green and brown so far. He could hear some animals scurrying away from the sound of him crashing through the forest. His goal was not stealth here, no that was the goal of his opponent.

The faint splish of his boot in the pool of water had him jumping back behind the tree he had just passed. His timing was perfect as a column of water sprung up from the small puddle. The water rushed up into the sky for several long seconds before dropping back into the shallow puddle, innocently resting there as if it had not been a reversed waterfall a moment before.

Sorey peeked around the tree, grinning at his avoiding the trap. He caught sight of the hint of blue for a second before a bubble popped in his face drenching him with water.

He pouted as he watched Mikleo laugh at his dripping wet face. Pulling his sword free he took a deep breath. Stepping around the tree he charged forward. Forgetting the trap he had avoided, he stepped directly in the path of the trap. Once his foot was again in the puddle the water wrapped around his leg, dragging him down to the ground.

Yelping loudly, he fell onto his back, sword knocked from his hand and just out of reach. The water held tightly until the mage was sure Sorey was downed. Only then did the water slosh across the ground, freeing him from his hold. He groaned and closed his eyes. 

Fighting a smile, he held still. He lay there with his eyes closed, listening closely to the footsteps approaching him. He could feel the warmth beside his shoulder and his muscles tensed.

“Hey Sorey, you didn’t hit your head in that fall, did you?”

His eyes shot open. As much as he would have loved to lie there and look up at the halo of ice around Mikleo’s head and the sparkle in his purple eyes, he had a mission to complete. He left his sword lying on the ground as he leapt up. He threw his arms around his opponent and the force knocked them both to the ground. The water found itself rushing under them, softening their fall but soaking them through. 

Sorey kept his hands on Mikleo’s arms, pinning them to the ground as he leaned back to look down at him. “Caught you,” he said his grin spreading.

Wide eyes blinked at him and then Mikleo broke out into laughter again. The giggles were contagious and Sorey leaned down to rest his head in Mikleo’s shoulder as it shook his arms. The two of them lay on the ground together until their stomachs hurt from the laughter and they had to catch their breath. 

“Looks like we are back to a tie,” Mikleo said as he tried to push the man off of him.

Sorey let all his weight rest on him, “yep, we will have to have another round as a tie-breaker.”

The mage groaned under the weight, “get off!”

"Alright, alright," Sorey mumbled at the orders. He leaned in one last time and pressed his lips to Mikleo's cheek. He was gone before the other could realize what had happened.

It took several long seconds before Mikleo got up from the ground. He accepted the hand offered to him, but couldn’t meet the dazzling green eyes. Once on his feet he ignored the heat in his cheeks and grabbed his staff. With a simple swish the air began to sparkle with droplets of water as they raced away in the sunlight. Soon the trees were covered, and the young men were dry.

His lips parted with words on the tip of his tongue, but they vanished as a loud howl filled the air. Both of them froze and listened, sure enough the sound repeated. It only took a look at each other before they ran in the direction of the sound. Crashing through the brush they entered the clearing where the sound had originated.

In the middle of the clearing a young woman stood with her back to the boys. Her long hair swished as she looked around her. Three beasts had surrounded her, growling and preparing to charge. A loud howl came from one of the beasts and together they leapt, claws stretched out and teeth bared.

Mikleo skidded to a stop, raising his staff and a thin wall of water rose between the woman and the beast at her back. Its claws bounced off the wall and it howled in pain, turning its attention away from her toward the intruders to its hunt. 

Sorey leapt forward, his sword swinging down toward the beast. It skidded away at the last moment, claws leaving deep marks in the ground, and launched forward jaws opened wide. The teeth closed down on a ball of water. It howled and looked around for the source. It’s gaze landed on Mikleo and the distraction was the opening Sorey needed. His blade plunged into the throat of the beast, he yelled to push himself further and the blade slid free. The beast collapsed with a gurgle and blood pooled around its head.

Both boys watched it for a moment and when it was clear it would not be moving again, they turned to the other beasts, only to find them gone and ash in their place. 

The woman slid pieces of paper into her sleeves and smiled at the boys. “That was quite impressive.”

Taking one of the slips of paper she placed it on the body of the beast, and it burst into flame. Sorey had to take several steps away as the heat licked at his face. In a moment the fire was gone and all that was left was a pile of ash.

“Woah!” Sorey exclaimed, “you are a mage as well?!”

“Sorey,” Mikleo scolded, “it’s rude to ask questions before introducing yourself.”

Sorey glanced back at the other and put on his best sheepish smile, the one that always got him out of trouble. He laughed when Mikleo just rolled his eyes. Turning back to the woman he actually looked at her now.

Her long silver hair sparkled in the sunlight and she was dressed in beautiful expensive clothing. The red designs on her dress were something common for mages to wear, so clearly, she was a fire mage. She also was quite beautiful, maybe it was a common trait of mages since the other young mage he knew, Mikleo, was also very beautiful.

“That’s quite alright,” she said breaking him from his thoughts. “I appreciate the assistance. I am Lailah, pleasure to meet you two.”

Sorey smiled brightly, “I’m Sorey and this is Mikleo! We don’t usually see people out here, what brings you out this way?”

“Oh, just a little of this and that,” she said softly looking around. “Right now, I am looking for a good place to rest. I could have sworn an old friend of mine lived around here somewhere."

The boys looked at each other. Sorey flashed a sheepish smile and Mikleo responded with an eye roll and sigh. A moment of silence later he nodded and hid his smile behind his hand. Sorey cheered and turned his attention back to Lailah.

“You could stay at our place for the night, Gramps might be able to point you in the direction of your friend.”

☆

The door flew open and jolted against the stopper that had been placed there after a few too many dents in the wall. Mikleo peeked at the wall behind the door as he shut it behind them, clear wall and door locked.

“Gramps! We are home!” Sorey called out into the home as the trio pulled off their shoes.

The older man came around the corner, “you are late, dinner is just about ready.” 

He paused once he noticed the guest with them. The scolding frown melted off his face, replaced with a soft look. Lailah immediately brightened up.

“Ah Zenrus!” Lailah cheered clapping her hands together, “how shocking it is to see you! I didn’t realize these young men were your boys!”

She wiggled her fingers in the air. Zenrus shook his head and static danced through the air meeting her. They both smiled and the light buzz in the air died down.

“Good evening Lailah,” he replied, “you should have let me know you would be in the area.”

The boys looked between their new friend and their guardian, both eyes wide as they whipped their heads back and forth. Mikleo was the first to have his words catch up to his racing thoughts.

"Lailah, is Gramps the old friend you were talking about?" he asked.

Her eyes widened and she looked down at her feet. “Oh, look I forgot to take off my shoes!”

Both boys looked down and her shoes were definitely already off, placed neatly by the door. They both clearly remember her taking them off.

“Lailah?” Sorey asked, tilting his head as he pulled his eyes from her shoe-less feet.

Gramps cut in with a smack of his cane against the ground, “Boys, go get changed. You are already late for dinner.”

She clapped her hands and waved them at the boys, a clear shooing motion. “That is a great idea.”

“But?” Sorey started before being cut off again. A staff tapped against his lower back, pulling his attention to his best friend.

“You have mud on your butt,” Mikleo said. 

He twisted, trying to look behind him. With a sigh, he let the conversation drop and headed back to their room, unbuttoning his shirt along the way. 

Mikleo picked up the shirt from the floor as he followed Sorey into their room, carefully he collected all the clothes thrown around the room and dropped them into the basket to be washed. Sneaking a glance over his shoulder at his friend’s bare back. Turning away, he quickly shed his own clothes and replaced them with a clean set and escaped the temptation in the room.

☆

Gramps filled a bowl and passed it to Lailah, “so what brings you this way?”

“Rumors about a master of the curl, I followed one across the border, but they were a lie. It was most disappointing.” She shook her head and sighed heavily.

Mikleo looked at Sorey and Gramps before asking, “master of the curl?”

Lailah clapped her hands together and her eyes filled with sparkles. She leaned into the table to meet Mikleo’s eyes. “Oh yes,” she said, “a young traveler once showed me the great art of the curl. I’ve been looking for his master ever since.”

She took a breath and seemed prepared to go on, but she was cut off by Gramps voice and a plate being put in front of her.

“She is obsessed with things that curl; I wouldn’t get her started on it.”

Lailah’s lower lip jutted out and she looked away from Gramps. “If you saw his artful curls you would be just as fascinated Zenrus.”

Changing the subject, he asked, “how did you run into Sorey and Mikleo?”

“They helped me with a couple beasts. They were quite heroic.” She nodded in their direction, flashing a smile. 

Mikleo leaned toward Sorey and whispered. “I wonder if she even needed our help.”

They nodded; it was likely that she had not needed their assistance. Sure, they had defeated one of the beasts, but the way she wielded the fire was impressive. That thought reminded Sorey of his earlier question that had not been answered.

“Oh right!” he practically shouted, earning him a scolding from Gramps that he sheepishly ignored. “Lailah, are you a mage as well?”

“Oh yes,” she answered, nodding to him, “I studied at the capitol.”

Both boy’s jaws dropped, and they jumped to their feet. “The Capitol?!” they shouted.

“Boys!” the air buzzed and both of them immediately sat down, not wanting to feel Gramps’ wrath. But even the lightning threat that hovered over their heads they shook in excitement as they looked to Lailah for more information.

With a laugh she gave them a little something. “The academy there is one of the best, they like to train all mages if possible.”

Gramps cut in before she could continue. “They are fools.”

Sorey and Mikleo looked at him in confusion, but he ignored the curiosity.

“True,” Lailah responded, “they are rigid in their thinking.”

Mikleo was the first to speak up from the sudden chill in the air. “What do you mean?”

Gramps scowled into the air as he thought about the idiots that ran the academy. “They ignore tradition, writing certain traditions off as fairy tales.” He shook his head. “Fools, who pick and choose what to believe without experimentation.”

Sorey put his hand on his chest and Mikleo frowned as his words brought back a warning Gramps had given them before. They had heard about this before, when they made their decision a couple years ago.

_Just know that most people will not understand this decision of yours. They were not raised knowing the tradition. You would do well to protect your bond from those who would not understand._

Lailah broke the silence carefully, “I think you boys would enjoy the capitol,” she said with a glance at Zenrus, “the academy is beautiful and near the palace.”

The words brought back the light to Sorey’s eyes, “the palace?”

They had read many books detailing the palace in the capitol. It was a national treasure and a very important part of history. Many late nights had been spent discussing the architecture of the building and the many artworks housed in its walls. There were even stories of the library which had many tomes, long thought lost to the sands of time. It was one of the many places they had dreamed of visiting.

“It is quite a magnificent building,” she said, her thoughts drifting to the ornately decorated structure “The King is very generous with letting the citizens view much of the palace, you could tour it for days and still have more to see.” Her comment on the King made her pause. She focused on Sorey and hummed with interest. “Actually, you sort of remind me of him, Sorey.”

Sorey paused his wandering thoughts and looked at her in confusion, “I do?”

“You could be a portrait of him from when he was young.” She tapped her chin, ignoring the steady glare she was receiving from Zenrus, “if I didn’t know better, I would think you were the missing prince.”

“Lailah!”

The table shook from the force of Gramps hand coming down on it. An ice cold silence filled the room, no one dared to breathe for a moment. The boys looked at each other and then back to the pair silently communicating with each other. Lailah and Zenrus stared quietly at each other as the tension wrapped around them. 

“Missing prince?” Sorey finally asked, unable to hold his tongue anymore. The words had been about him, even Gramps anger couldn’t keep him from asking.

All eyes snapped to him and Lailah quickly grabbed her full drink, “oh look I need more water. Does anyone else need anything?” She left the room before waiting for the answer.

Gramps sighed and turned to the boys. “Rumors from the capital say that the King’s son was kidnapped from his room many years ago, and that he was whisked away to a neighboring country. It is all great political schemes that do not affect our lives here, so it would be best if you did not worry about it anymore.”

Lailah reappeared at the table, chattering away with stories from her adventures. The tension stayed in the back of their minds, but for the rest of the meal they put the conversation behind them. 

It was the tensest meal that had ever happened in the house, the back and forth had been exhausting. Once the table was cleared, everyone retreated to their own rooms for the night.

☆

Hands full with their drinks, Mikleo hooked his foot around the door and pushed. It clicked shut and he made his way to the bed. The click was loud in the quiet room, but it did not even faze the boy sitting on the bed.

Sorey stared into space, his eyes were blank, but Mikleo knew it was just because his thoughts were running rampant. He had seen that look many times before and every time it ended up with something coming out of Sorey’s mouth that he thought Mikleo would not like.

"Ok," the mage said sharply, "your brain is going to catch fire if you keep thinking so hard."

Lips quirked upwards for a moment as Sorey accepted the offered glass of water. He was glad Mikleo did not decide to make him wear the water. "You'll put out the flames if that does happen." He took a sip and the cool water, felt wonderful on his tongue and running down his throat.

"Yeah, but let's prevent the fire before it starts." He sat down on the bed, putting his glass on the bedside table and taking Sorey’s back to do the same. "So, what's on your mind?"

Sorey shrugged, "just thinking about what Lailah said." 

A king who looked like him, a prince kidnapped and missing, of course it was going to be swimming through his mind. Although his memory of the time before he started living with Mikleo and Gramps was nearly gone, it was a fact that he definitely had come from somewhere and hadn’t always been living in the village. 

He was not sure if he hoped that this was the answer to the question of his past. Finding his family would be nice, but being a prince? Still it was a question he did want an answer to.

"Figured as much.”

The minute Mikleo heard the story he knew it would stay with Sorey. His friend had a sponge for a brain, he wouldn’t forget about any story he heard. It was something that Mikleo appreciated about Sorey. He appreciated a lot about the boy who turned up on their doorstep that rainy night. 

"Oh, if you know me so well then you tell me what I am thinking," Sorey taunted jabbing his elbow into his friend’s stomach.

Mikleo did not return the teasing, instead their eyes met. "You are going to go to the capital to see this King who looks like you."

Of course, Mikleo would take the most direct route to the heart of their problems. That was something Sorey appreciated about Mikleo.

Taking this moment, Sorey looked over his other half. Even in the minimal light, he was beautiful. His soft skin that always seemed clear, his hair which never seemed to be out of place, and his eyes which were sharp but filled with care. Mikleo was the most beautiful person Sorey had ever met. He will never forget the warmth of those arms, holding him while he cried. 

He will hold those memories close even when he is alone.

“Will you take care of Gramps while I’m gone?”

The fist that met his arm would definitely leave a bruise. The pain jerked him right out of his gentle reminiscing. 

Mikleo stood up and stared down at him, eyes angry and on fire. “You are a fool if you don’t think I am coming with you.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to run off with me,” Sorey said rubbing his arm, “who would be here to take care of Gramps?” 

Even as he said the words, he could feel the hope blooming in his chest. He did not dare to hope, he did not dare to let the possibility cross his thoughts while he was planning. How could he ask Mikleo to leave his only home? How could he ask him to follow Sorey into the unknown?

Yanking at the collar of Sorey’s shirt, Mikleo pulled it down until the shimmering blue on his chest was peeking out. He knew Sorey couldn’t see it, but he would know what was being said. “Whose name is on your chest?”

Pulling his collar free, he looked sheepishly at the mage. “You really want to come with me?”

This was the one thing that drove Mikleo crazy. 

Sorey always wanted to be helpful and to not be a burden. He would try to keep his problems to himself. It was always up to Mikleo to drag them out into the open and force him to let him help. He loved that caring side of Sorey, but sometimes it drove him crazy.

“You’d get yourself in trouble the minute you stepped foot into the city without me,” Mikleo said crossing his arms over his chest. “Besides, I want to see this academy for myself. I doubt it is as amazing as they make it out to be.”

How could he even think of leaving Mikleo here alone?

Arms wrapped around his waist and Sorey buried his face into his shirt. He could feel the words “thank you” being mumbled into his chest. The knot that had formed in his heart loosed. Wrapping his own arms around Sorey’s shoulders, he let his cheek rest in his soft hair. They slowly separated from the hug and looked at each other.

Sorey noticed the hurt Mikleo tried to hide in his eyes and looked away for a moment. 

Mikleo leaned in, but Sorey turned at just the right moment. Instead of his lips meeting the smooth skin of his cheek they met the soft warmth of his lips. They froze, lips touching and eyes wide, for several seconds before Mikleo jumped back, his face painted pink.

"That's revenge for this afternoon,” he declared before spinning away and making his exit quickly. He stopped in the doorway, “of course I would go anywhere with you.” 

Touching his lips, he hurried outside needing a moment to recompose himself. For how long they had been together they still acted like teenagers every time they kissed. Each one was a first kiss for them.

Sorey rubbed his lower lip, his face equally colored. Climbing off the bed he took Mikleo’s normal seat by the window. He could see why this spot was so loved. The view was amazing. None of the other homes blocked the view, he could see forever off the mountain. The stars filled the sky and it was almost like looking out into the universe. Taking in the view he let his mind wander.

The world outside their village and the surrounding forest... it was something he had only dreamed about. Books and stories from travelers always made it seem so magical and the excitement twisted in his stomach. 

Soon he would see them all for himself, the great city on the lake, the grand halls of the palace. He would soon be walking on the stones that has centuries of history upon them. He would be breathing in the air surrounded by buildings from the stories he had read. He would be seeing the sights told from the tales of travelers.

Not only that he would be with his best friend, his other half. All the dreams of seeing the world together were coming true. Their dreams would just take place in the whispers between them under the covers, it would be something they can live out.

Fingers curled around his, pulling him from his wandering thoughts. He did not need to look, the touch of those fingers was as familiar to him as his own reflection, but he looked anyways. 

Mikleo, always the one with his head on straight, the anchor to Sorey. His eyes were a mix of worry and excitement. 

Tugging on their joined hands he pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let's get some sleep, the sooner we sleep, the sooner we can wake up and talk to Gramps."

“You are right,” Sorey replied standing up from spot to climb into bed.

The sheets were cool as they pulled them around themselves, but soon they would warm with their body heat. Scooting together, their legs twined together, and they held hands, fingers twisting together as well. Pressing their foreheads together, they carefully shut their eyes and breathed in the scent of them. 

The night was long, and sleep escaped them for many hours. But they lay silently together, knowing they would stay together. They wouldn’t be separated.

**_And this is where their tale begins, they did not really know what would await them out there, but they had dreams to chase and questions to answer. As long as they were together nothing could escape their grasp._ **

**__ **

{Art By Mewnia [Tumblr](https://mewnia.tumblr.com/post/189304793993/at-last-i-can-finally-post-for-the-sormikbigbang)||[Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mewnia15/status/1199199893383872512)} 


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